Another what-if NASCAR season for Ganassi

Chip Ganassi remains one of the most accomplished motorsports owners in history. But his quest for a NASCAR championship will go into another year.

Having captured multiple championships in other forms of racing disciplines, 59-year-old Ganassi has tried for over 10 years to win a NASCAR title. After looking primed to have one of his best shots with drivers Kyle Larson and Jamie McMurray, that hope ended at Kansas Speedway as both drivers were eliminated from the playoffs.

While McMurray has quietly put together one of his best seasons, Larson's elimination is perhaps the most shocking. The No. 42 team tore through the regular season with four victories, 971 laps led and also led the point standings for a total of 11 weeks.

When Larson took the top spot, he became the first Ganassi driver to sit atop the sport since Sterling Marlin in 2002. It has been a breakout season for the 25-year-old, who has a total of 1,121 laps led and an average finish of 11.3. But the driver who looked like a title favorite, perhaps the biggest challenge to the dominant Martin Truex Jr., won't be in contention at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

In the Round of 12, Larson's finishes were 10th, 13th and 39th.

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"Things happen. You look at the past playoffs and the 78 [Martin Truex, Jr.] had an engine issue last year and he was the best car all year; and then us, this year," Larson said. "So, it's disappointing."

McMurray had a tall task if he was to advance. After finishing fifth at Charlotte and 37th at Talladega, the No. 1 team was in a virtual must-win at Kansas. Coming prepared for battle, McMurray had a solid top-10 car and was running well when he was collected in a Lap 199 accident and finished 34th.

"We had to win today in order to get in," McMurray acknowledged. "Had a really good car. Had maybe, I don't know ... we had a car that could have won, I think, if we could have gotten to the front, but just didn't make it to the end."

As the search for a championship goes on at Chip Ganassi Racing, Sterling Marlin will remain the driver with the highest finishing points position for the organization. That came back in 2001 when Marlin wound up third.